Frilly and Funkie Challenge #19 Just My Type....Americana

    In my mind; there is nothing better than pairing up the colors of our US Flag, unless you could get those same colors in vintage shades!
I have an extreme love for the good old Red, White, and Blue that goes back to the celebration of our Country's Bicentennial in 1776. I clearly remember the fashion of hip-hugger, bell-bottomed, faded denim blue jeans patched over with peace signs or US Flag colors. I am a former wearer of such items and when they made a comeback in the early 2000s... I ran out to get some before the fad disappeared again! But, these past years have been 'pouring'  yourself into spandex skinny jeans that have less material in them. It's ironic to pay big money for jeans that have more holes in them than yours did as a teen in the 70s when Dad said "You are NOT leaving this house in THOSE God-forsaken, torn up jeans. I can see your SKIN through those things! Go put on some better pants, please." *sigh* Parents just didn't understand the draw of a comfy old pair of jeans. So, when our generation popped out kids of our own, we just HADDA go and show them our saved-from-the-trash old jeans. And someone went and got FILTHY RICH off of that. It wasn't ME. Sadly.

Just an early peek on my "pull" towards Americana colors and items! ;)

         But then some guy named Tim Holtz came along and while he was still a bit younger than me....*gasp!*...he GOT IT! He actually understood the blending of "vintage" or "old" with "Americana"! And I felt like I'd met a match in my theory of design and art. It felt like coming HOME when those Distress Inks came out in shades named: Faded Blue Jeans, Frayed Burlap, and Fired Brick! He could actually dig it, man; what inspiration an old camera or a vintage fan, or a still-usable 1939 typewriter could mean to someone- and the THRILL of finding one!
        If you are my age (53 next week) or older, you might even remember your Grandparents having several of these "old things" not just laying around catching dust, but really STILL being used! That was the case of my maternal Grandma- she was a 'saver' of things. And being her namesake, I was often shown a lot of these things that were dear to her and how she came to have them, and especially: how she took care of, and still used them. One item of oft-use was her

old black typewriter. It was used by her in High School and she was very proud of it. Here she was in the 1980s, still typing on that thing. I was mesmerized by it! Partly because computers were pretty new in our schools at that time. Only High School students who were majoring in some kind of office work or a business career, signed up for "Computer Technology" or "Typing" (Classes 1, 2, 3, and 4 along with "Dictation") needed to worry about learning any kind of keyboard-related learning. Since I was profoundly deaf by then (but not as bad as now, which is totally), I didn't have much use for any of that. I DID however have a WANT to learn typing just for the fun of it. My experience of typing had been almost nothing except for Grandma's old black typewriter. I had borrowed it from her for extra credit on an English Class report. Then decided I liked it so much, I borrowed it for other reports; liking that crisp, clear, bold black, same-sized lettering over my own handwriting (which was always complimented on by Teachers who said I have a 'flowing cursive").  So, there I found myself in Typing I with a state-of-the-art electric IBM. AND.....I sucked at it. From all the practice I'd had on that old typewriter where I'd had my Dad coming into my room complaining that my "CLICKETY-CLACKETY! CLICKETY-CLACKETY!" was too loud for him to sleep. So touching on those NEW "QWERTY" keys that just flew with a slight touch meant that I kept typing things that looked like:

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaant toooo tttttteeeeeeellllllllllllll yyyyyyyyyyyyouuuuuuuuuuu

Oh, I passed the class... unless you count being forced to take sample Dictation on her exam. I guess she just couldn't understand how a DEAF person could possibly need to learn how to type but not to HEAR people speaking on earphones to you. Oh well.

        So when the Frilly and Funkie Challenge #19 was announced, I already had found out I won Guest Designer from the Haberdashery Challenge ( click here to see it if you missed it ), and I was going to have to think of a SIMPLE entry for Just My Type, since I'd be working on TWO projects. The bonus is getting two weeks "off" after the GD spot. with all that stuff above going through my brain, I was still hung up on that larger Tag of the Haberdashery, so I decided to just go ahead with another like it.
     NOTE: This is NOT an original design by me. I've seen a couple of these on Pinterest. So I don't want to look like I came up with this myself- NOPE! Kudos goes out to whomever came up with it first, though!! All that is original about my take on it, is the Americana paper ribbon I scored on a trip to Treasure Mart for a whole $3 on a recent "ChickTrip" there with all the Besties. I have about 3 yards of it and you'll be seeing it again, to be sure!

JIC: This could be where you could find more??

I used my TH Tiny Attacher to fold the bottom of my cut together.

Then "puffed it up" using my folded paper trick

( as shown on the Columns I made in F&F Challenge AUGUST ).

FRONT SIDE of Tag...

… and BACK SIDE of Tag.

IDEAOLOGY ROCKS !!!

Who said we were DONE with those TH Type Charms?!

Ditto for the Memo Pins I chose to use here!

More Type Charms on the puffed-out paper ribbon, so the Paper Doll girl needed to stand out, too.

She's waving Old Glory...of the smaller TH Alterations Movers and Shapers Set.

Who is NOT enjoying that TH Memoranda Paper? RUN & GET SOME!!!

I used the photo of the Royal Typewriter, above, to create a copy from Tim's die, using GrundgePaper; Distress Paints in Black Soot, Brushed Pewter, and Picket Fence,

Glossy Accents, and Foil for dimension, color, and feel.

Total layers: 5 GrundgePaper plus 1 Foil on top.

Here's another older TH IdeaOlogy item: Pen Nibs.

I still LOVE these !!!

I used a couple of my TH Embossing Folders to add a bit of dimension to 

leftover Memoranda halfsheet to add a backside to the Tag. Kept it SIMPLE!

And that's a wrap for this Challenge!

Be sure to head over to

The Frilly and Funkie Challenge Blog

to see the rest of the entries this time!

The next Challenge... #20...is my 3rd time as Guest Designer, and it's a FUN ONE!

It was worth doing 'double-duty' on two projects at once, but I sure am glad to have them both completely finished so I can clean up my studio a bit. lol!

So, here's your chance to join us in showing off your creative side;

don't be put off if it's not a flat project, as you should check out some of the AWESOME

STUFF people are making for an entry...it always blows me away with their ideas!

I also need to shout about: I WON THE DRAWING- a $25 Gift Certificate from

The Funkie Junkie Boutique

the Sponsor of these Challenges. You can be sure that it literally burned a hole in my Email and I just had to go back and purchase some things I've been wanting since they came out.

(I'll give you a hint of my package on it's way: LIFT!)

 As Always:

Be Safe,

& HAPPY BLOGGING! 

Frilly and Funkie Challenge #12 By Airmail! ....Guest Designer: "Share theJourney!"

  Hi! Lyla Larimore here again, & I'm very excited to be the Guest Designer for this Frilly and Funkie Challenge- my second time! You're gonna LOVE this theme, as it fits right in with Summer. And, it's a very old tradition when it comes to traveling anywhere... we're gonna take this "BY AIRMAIL!"
   For the younger crowd, it's a lesser-used mode of sending someone an update on where you are and what you're doing. (Social Media really has us all spoiled in that area!) But, back in the day- and for us older ones, it's as far back as 1995 *gasp!* when it was still  pretty 'normal' to take a vacation at say....Walt Disney World... where the first stop you made was at The Mad Hatter Shop to pick up some cool MM Ears or a baseball cap, and a pair of sunglasses for each member of the family. Next stop: the nearest Gift Shop, where you would pick up a few POSTCARDS, and a few stamps (which were probably a whole 15cents or 19cents each back then *another gasp!*) and get to your hotel room to actually sit down and write a few words of how your trip down was and what you saw on the way. Then pop it into the US Postal Service Mail Box on your way to the tram for the Magic Kingdom! If you were lucky- the receiver of your postcard would get it a few days before you got back home from your week-long stay. Such was the case it USED to be!

    But now...everything comes instantly over SM. Not that it's a bad thing, but there was certainly something to be said about getting a note or letter in the mail! I was among the last of the holdouts to be doing actual Christmas Cards by mail, I'm sure. I finally gave in and went full-tilt SM just a couple years ago. And it feels strange- almost as strange as when those first digital cameras made their way into our home and I ended up putting all my film cameras up on the shelf...joining my collection that includes a genuine Kodak from 1904.
   Being a huge History buff with an equally enthusiastic family of such interest, we had the opportunity to travel to Washington DC and see all the sights- including most of the Smithsonian Institution and the then-brand new Newseum (and ran into many famous folks there also). But one of our stops happened to be the US Postal Museum. While we didn't have time to take the full tour there, it was an awesome place to see, and I highly recommend making a trip there on your BucketList !
    I've got page-by-page photos for you, and several closeups. I'll keep the 'chatter' to a minimum so you can look through all of them. You will notice that some of the pages are NOT so "Postal" and that is to help break up the monotony of just the same colors and allow the entire thing to look more 'vintage' and worn. I really hope you enjoy this project- it's been a full year since I began it, and I became addicted to making more pages as I went. It was just TOO fun to put down! I did take some pics along the way, but only added what I made during this past two week period- after I got my hands on Tim's newest Thinlits Die -ordered through The Funkie Junkie Boutique, of course!

   
                       So, with all that said....let's get on with it & go "BY AIRMAIL"!

Front of TH Worn Cover embellished w Alpha Chips lettering, LetterPress numbers & Quote Chips.

Another one of those tiny sample Grunge Paper tags- embossed using TH "Bingo" number 14, then inked with Distress Inks- Vintage Photo & Black Soot.

Little wood cameras embellished by using TH Distress Paint in Antique Linen, Picket Fence, & Black Soot, then a finger-coat of Glossy Accents overlay on a piece of TH IdeaOlogy Filmstrip Ribbon.

These IdeaOlogy LetterPress numbers were dabbed w Picket Fence Distress Paint, allowed to dry, scraped/sanded to wear down the paint, then coated w Clear Rock Candy Crackle Paint.

Page 1A

Closeup of Page 1A

I used a stencil that I purchased in a set at "Typo" a store inside the Mall of America-Minneapolis, MN-during one of our many trips to Red Wing to see the younger kids set. 

Using the technique Tim showed on Distress Multi Medium Matte, I heat-dried it plain as is, then used a bit of Distress Ink in Vintage Photo in uneven strokes across the dried lettering. 

Pages 1B & 2A

Tag insert for the pocket on Page 1B

Pages 2B and 3A

Insert (TH ideaOlogy Pocket Card-double sided) for pocket on Page 2B

Closeup of Embossed image (all TH products) on Page 3A

Pages 3B and 4A

Tag ((TH French Industrial) & M&S Postage Stamp (TH Destinations) inserts.

Pages 4B and 5A

Closeup of 5A

Embossed w using TH stamps & Distress Ink Paint in Black Soot and Paper Studio powder in gold.

 Here's a sample of "How To" on the pages themselves, and on using the new Thinlits duo...

     Paperie used for this project (unless otherwise noted) came from Tim Holtz's line:

        Dapper, Destinations, & Correspondence, & a bit of French Industrial.

 

  Correspondence Stash is at the top of my fave papers/cardstocks. 

  Not only for it's Americana colors, but for it's cool images;

including vintage airplanes, stamps, maps, postage notations, and several cool patterns:

PERFECT for this "By Airmail!" Challenge.

I chose one full page which made 2 book pages.

Cut top from bottom into two halves of 6"X12" rectangles.

 

Then cut each half paper into 2 more sections each (length will depend on how deep U want your pocket to be). You end up with 4 pieces that will make 2 pages with one pocket each.

My pages measure   7 & 1/2" tall x  6" wide 

with pockets of  6" tall x 4" wide with a fold-over edge of  6" tall x 1/2" wide.

The 12x12 Stash Papers by Tim Holtz cut along the designs almost perfectly to fit 

his Worn Covers...in this cut size- fit my 6 &1/2" x 9" choice very nicely. 

 I then inked all sides for some depth/wear.

Remember to HEAT DRY the INK so the runner tape will adhere correctly

when you put the 2 pieces of each page together.

Then used the TH 2hole Punch intended to perfectly fit his 2 ring binders-

 all the pages match up exactly!

Because the pockets are on the outside (keeping inserts from falling out), I used reinforcers

on both sides of each page's holes. I made my own from plain vanilla cardstock scraps

& TH Alterations Tag & Bookplates Die.

This is the die which gets heavily used by me all the time.

Here's that new Thinlits set -Stitched Slots- in use... making a different kind of pocket on the opposite side of each "Trains" page. I just HAD to get this die 

(along with TH Bigz Die Seashells- YAY!), and I think it's going to be one of my faves. 

Ok; so I have a LIST of FAVES. I'll just add this to the list. lol

And I added some regular & mini Tickets using the same computer trick w stamps- allowing me to change the number on the top area of the tickets to read 02018...for this year!

Making inserts was relatively easy: die cut a shape, add a stamp or two, ink around for depth,

heat dry, & add ribbon, sticker, etc... or just leave plain.

We're back to the pages- starting up again w the very page on the "How To" above...

Page 5B and Page 6A

Inserts for Page 5B (another TH Pocket Card) and 

Page 6A (Reg Ticket & Mini Ticket Strip Dies, plus a photo cut from TH Destinations Stash Paper).

Page 6B and Page 7A

Insert for Page 6B (photo made into a post card from TH Destinations).

Closeup of Page 7A ( TH stamp embossing w Black Soot Distess Ink & 

Paper Studio embossing powder in gold.

Page 7B and Page 8A

Page 7B inserts (from TH Destinations; a layered die cut Old Jalopy,

& M&S Postage Stamp Frame).

Closeup of Page 8A- another TYPO brand stencil from the same set as on Page 1A...and the same technique but with Distress Inks: Fired Brick, Frayed Burlap, & Faded Blue Jeans.

Page 8B and Page 9A

Inserts for Page 8B- 2 M&S Big Ticket die cuts from the Destinations stash.

Closeup of Page 9A

Multi Medium Matte technique used here with yet another stencil from that 

"TYPO" set- and THIS one just made the page nearly TAKE OFF! lol

Distress fussy-inked in Faded Blue Jeans.

Page 9B and Page 10A 

Inserts for Page 9B- another M&S Postage Stamp Frame die cut from Correspondence stash,

and another photo cut from Destinations & made into a postcard.

Notice; 10A begins another set of pages- most of which are copies of the first set of pages,

but not ALL...there's some surprises near the end!

Page 10B and Page 11A

Inserts for Page 10B are a couple of Tag& Bookplates die cuts from the French Industrial stash.

Page 11B and Page 12A

Pocket Card insert for Page 11B

Closeup of Page 12A using the same technique as on Page 3A but with different TH stamps.

Page 12B and Page 13A

insert for Page 12B - tag die cut from French Industrial.

Closeup of Page 13A- I used a Stampin'Up Roller Stamp Musical Notes in Black Soot Distress Ink & Paper Studio embossing powder in Copper w heat dry to make this embossing.

Page 13B and Page 14A

Tag insert for Page 13B from French Industrial stash paper.

Closeup of Page 14A again using same technique as Page 5A. 

Page 14B and Page 15A

Tag inserts for Page 14B from French Industrial.

Page 15B and 16A

Frontside of Insert for Page 15B

Note the movable TH Alterations Picture Wheel die cut & also movable TH Gears & Gears2 cuts.

The brown inset color is actually a piece of printer vellum paper (specially for use with printers or printer inks) & I wondered how it would look as a "see through" backing for the Picture Wheel. I inked it up with Distress Vintage Photo, then gently heat-dried it....presto! Later, I could add tiny photos inside the wheel, but for just "fillers", the vellum worked very well. It even took on a "distressed look" when I tried the same process, but swiped it a bit before heat-drying.

Backside of movable insert for Page 15 B

Page 16B and Page 17A

Inserts- Pocket Card & layered Old Jalopy for Page 16B

Closeup of Page 17A - Another "Typo" stencil from the set, and the same Multi Matte technique.

Page 17B and Page 18A

Big Ticket insets from Destinations stash for Page 17B

Closeup of Page 18A using TH Correspondence Paper stash for the page & a just-slightly-smaller matching stencil from the "Typo" brand set and the Multi Matte technique. Fired Brick matched up the colors of red very nicely!

Page 18B and Page 19 A

Page 18B insert is a trifold of a "postal" 1/4 page Correspondence paper, and

Page 19A insert uses the Multi M Matte technique on a TH Pocket Card 

with Tim's USA stencil matching up w TH Thinlet States Die Set, 

& Distress Inks in fired Brick, Frayed Burlap, and Faded Blue Jeans.

There is a small ziplock baggie shown with "filler" States shapes that fit 

into the missing spots on Page 19B- the very last page.

Closeup of 19A

Page 19B was made of a smaller 1/4 stash piece from Correspondence- I actually doubled this up onto another quarter stash piece and you can see the writing of that piece on the right hand side of the photo. The 1/4 page was not wide enough, so I just added a bit of another 1/4 page. The combined look is really neat, I think, and matches all those places where we once sent those letters and postcards back home to Indiana from....as well as REvisits that now are just plastered onto our Social Media accounts. Progress has it's drawbacks and pluses. 

I used Tim's Thinlit die set States using Correspondence stash to show the states across the USA that we have been to, and the empty ones are places we still have plans for visiting.

After cutting, inking edges a bit w Distress Ink in Tea Dye, I used Glossy Accents to both adhere the pieces and cover them over. I chose not to heat dry the Distress Ink before the top coat since it smudges the ink and gives it an "older" look. 

I left the backside - as well as both inside covers- plain. Just for the heck of it. We don't have to cover every inch of a canvas, and sometimes a bit of "plainess" makes the rest stand out more.

I'm really pleased with how this turned out!

The best part was: even though I began this exactly 1 year ago, it was so easy to make because it went almost page by page just whenever I had the time.

Keeping it simple was the key to this project, but simplicity led to awesomeness!

                  Thanks so very much for allowing me to Share The Journey with you!
              If you traveled to this post on your own through Blogger, and you like what you see...
                                  then be sure to visit The Frilly and Funkie Challenge Blog
                           where you will not only find this project, but many others even better!
                             
                                       And, you're more than welcome to come join the fun!
                                           There are PRIZES for top winners- sponsored by
                                                           The Funkie Junkie Boutique

                                         Until next time....
                     BE SAFE &  HAPPY BLOGGING!!